Fearlessly Falling
by DragonFang2011
Summary: A RyugaxHikaru one-shot inspired by Taylor Swift's song, Fearless! Hikaru and Ryuga have been best friends since they were kids. However, Hikaru develops feelings for Ryuga. Will this ruin their friendship? Happy Valentine's Day, guys! Read and review!


Hikaru: DragonFang2011 does not own Metal Fight Beyblade or any of the characters!

Me: Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you guys got lots of flowers and chocolate today, because I got nothing from anyone outside my family! *still cheerful* But look on the bright side... there is no bright side! *grinning creepily*

Ryuga: What else did you expect?

Me: Well, this story was inspired by one of my favorite songs—Fearless, by Taylor Swift! She's awesome... although I wasn't too happy about the stunt she pulled at the Grammys, because I'm also a Harry Styles fan...

* * *

"I'm allergic to cheese."

"No, you're not!" Hikaru said, feigning frustration. She shoved the hamburger into her best friend's face, shaking it so that blobs of ketchup and mustard flew out and landed on his jeans. "I know because I've seen how you eat nachos! Now eat the damn sandwich, you twit!"

"I will not eat that sandwich."

"Why the hell not?" She reached behind him with one hand and deftly yanked the hood of his white hoodie over his head.

"Tch. Because I know you, Hikaru," he replied, not even bothering to lift up his hood. "You probably spit in it." He tilted his head and pulled a napkin out of the paper bag to wipe the bright red and yellow condiments off his pants.

"I did not spit in it!" she exclaimed, trying not to burst out laughing. "I just put something in there, that's all!"

"And that's supposed to make me want to eat it?" Ryuga pushed Hikaru's hand away with a finger, lying back on the bench and folding his arms behind his head. Hikaru pouted and rested her chin on top of his knees, wrapping her arms around them.

"Sure you don't want the burger, Kishatu?" she asked. "It's nice and juicy, with lots of bacon..."

Ryuga quickly reached up and swatted the sandwich out of her hand. It landed on the concrete floor of the park, breaking apart as it did. In the midst of the scattered food ingredients was a single shining red chili pepper.

She rolled her eyes. "Screw you, Ryuga. I was so close."

"No, you weren't," Ryuga scoffed, sighing lazily at the same time.

"Shut up." Hikaru felt her heart flutter around a bit, and she adjusted her T-shirt, hoping that Ryuga couldn't feel it pounding against his leg like a stampede of elephants. She'd been crushing on him for a while, now—it was an incredibly slow, gradual crush, and she didn't even realize that she liked him the way she did until she started to notice how much she'd begun to feel self-conscious and jittery around him.

They'd been friends for as long as she could remember, and she still couldn't figure out why she started liking him all of a sudden.

Hikaru let go of Ryuga's knee and leaned on the back of the bench, listening to his soft humming, and rolled her dirty soccer ball around a little with the soles of her doodled-on sneakers. She turned her head to gaze at him—he seemed to have fallen asleep, but knowing him, he was probably just daydreaming.

"It's going to rain," she commented, shaking his knee.

"Won't be for a few more minutes..."

Hikaru stood, then bent down to pick up the soccer ball. "Fine. But don't blame me when the rain catches up to you."

He grunted in response and got up, flipping his hood off his head. "Whatever. Let's go."

She smirked, amused by how he changed his mind so easily.

Hikaru sent a sideways glance at Ryuga. "We should've left earlier," she muttered, feeling a wet drop land on her face.

The two had just made it out of the park, and it was already starting to drizzle. Hikaru drew closer to her friend to soak in his warmth, wishing that she'd worn a jacket to protect her bare arms and her face from the cold rainwater.

"Here." Ryuga slid off his hoodie and held it out to her, his black tank top revealing a lean, toned body and tan skin.

Hikaru stared at the clothing article blankly, unsure of what to do. He was obviously offering it to her, but it seemed like every muscle in her arms was resisting her commands to grab it and wrap it around herself. She blinked, and her fingers twitched nervously.

"Well?" he said impatiently, arching a bushy white eyebrow. "Are you gonna take it or do you expect me to help you put it on, Princess?"

_Why am I hesitating? This is _Ryuga_, for crying out loud. I've seen him _naked_! Then again, we were kids back then... he wasn't _this_ hot... Shut up, Hikaru. Keep your cool. _She took in a gulp of air and took the coat, slipping her arms through the sleeves.

The hoodie was nice and warm, and just a little too large for her slender frame.

"Don't call me Princess," she said tartly, zipping up the front of the coat and pulling up the hood. "You know I don't like that nickname."

"Why do you think I call you that?"

The sky was lit up by a bright flash of lightning, and not too soon after, a clap of thunder made itself known to Hikaru's waiting ears. The wind got stronger, and people hurried past the two teens, their umbrellas being flipped inside-out by the gales.

Hikaru stuffed her hands into the pockets of the hoodie and lowered her head against the pouring rain. She felt the frigid water seeping through the fabric of her clothes, and shivered, huddling even closer to Ryuga. She felt his arm brush hers, and a hot blush crept towards her cheeks.

The street's usually dull gray surface caught the light a certain way—it wasn't exactly shiny, but something else... she couldn't put her finger on it... Hikaru looked up, watching as Ryuga swept back his spiky white and red hair. "Do you want your hoodie back?" she asked, feeling a bit guilty. "You might catch cold."

He shook his head. "You need it more than I do," he said quietly.

Hikaru turned her attention back to the rain puddles that had started to form in the potholes in the road. A car whipped past them, sending up a spray of dirty water. Hikaru hissed as the wave drenched her from head to toe.

A coughing sound escaped Ryuga's lips—it could be a laugh, or it could mean that the cold rain was taking its toll on his immune system.

"Hey, Hikaru," he began, "if I asked you out, would you say yes?"

She stopped walking.

Ryuga was several paces in front of her now, his hands in his jeans pockets, and he wasn't stopping. He wasn't looking back, either, but Hikaru could tell that he was waiting for her answer. She could feel the tension between them—as stretched out and as taut as a rubber band.

It pained her that he had been so blunt. He sounded like he was asking her if he could copy off her homework assignment. It was like he didn't even care—it was one of his personality traits that she loved so much, yet hated with a vengeance.

"I..." She silently cursed at herself—at how weak she had sounded.

Ryuga had halted, and turned a bit. Then, he huffed and started ascending the porch steps that led to Hikaru's front door, hunching his shoulders.

Hikaru quickly composed herself and ran to catch up to her friend, ignoring the water that sloshed in her sneakers. "Wait a second, Rye," she said cautiously, stepping in front of him. "What... what do you mean by that?" She extracted her keys from her shorts pocket and unlocked the door, gesturing for him to come in—her mother was probably asleep, and her father was at work.

Ryuga backed her up against the doorway, his face inches from hers, a hand pinning her wrist above her head. "What do you think?" he whispered. "I like you."

Her stomach was doing flips, and her hands were shaking at how close they were. She felt like her face was on fire, and the heat traveled to her ears and neck. She looked away from his intense golden eyes, wondering if this was really _Ryuga _speaking to her, or if this was just a prank.

"Like me _how_?" she asked.

He pulled her closer to him, easing her back off the doorway. "Hikaru, look at me."

She obeyed him.

Their bodies were touching now, and she could smell the soap and shampoo he used, and the freshly-cut grass scent that he always smelled of. He was so warm and his muscled embrace made her feel so safe and secure...

_But he's your best friend_, a voice inside her head piped up. _If you go through with this, it'll ruin your friendship._

_And if you don't_, another voice said, _you'll live the rest of your life regretting the fact that you pushed away the only guy who was able to make your heart beat so quickly. Hikaru, he's cute, and strong, and kind. He's honest—although sometimes he's _too_ honest for his own good—but maybe this means that he won't be keeping a lot of secrets from you._

Before she could make up her mind, Hikaru gathered her courage and leaned in.

The kiss got off on a rather clumsy start—as it was Hikaru's first, and possibly Ryuga's as well—but as it lengthened, Hikaru figured out how to tilt her head correctly. She could feel the hungry, burning passion in his warm lips. He pushed her against the doorway once again, surprising her with the sudden act of aggression.

Hikaru pulled away to catch her breath, and immediately, he swooped in again, pressing against her.

_I should have known he'd be rough._

She ran her long fingers through his wet, tangled hair and over his broad shoulders and around his neck.

It felt so odd kissing someone she'd been best friends with her whole life. Before, whenever she thought about her future, she'd see Ryuga there, for her. Congratulating her and _insert name here_ for getting together. Telling her boyfriend that if he broke her heart, Ryuga would snap his spine in half and toss his corpse into the sewer.

She drew back, pressing her forehead against Ryuga's.

It felt right, to kiss him.

_Funny how things don't always end up how you thought they would._

* * *

Ryuga: Why?

Me: Because.

Hikaru: I WOULD NEVER KISS MY BEST FRIEND, ESPECIALLY IF HE'S... ugh... HIM! *points to Ryuga*

Ryuga: I'd rather kiss a fish than kiss someone who lost to me so badly.

Hikaru: ...

Ryuga: ...

Me: ... Who's up for pizza? Heart-shaped pepperoni!


End file.
